When it came to potentially signing with the Knicks, though, let’s just say Durant knew how to veer from headlines.

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“I’m just trying to be as honest as I can about the question while also giving you what you need for your job but also not say anything that’ll,” Durant said, pausing and smiling. “Let me just get out of here.”

And that was that.

Durant was peppered with questions that either hinted or directly concerned his free agency ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Knicks at Oracle Arena. He played it coy throughout, even when asked straight up if he’ll consider the Knicks in July.

“I just focus on playing ball every single day,” he said. “I can’t control what people say about me, or what they say about our future and what I should do. I come to work every single day and life will figure itself out.”

Kevin Durant. (Ben Margot / AP)

An optimistic Knicks viewpoint is that answer was better than the sentiment from a couple years ago, when Durant said he didn’t meet with the Knicks in free agency because, simply, “I didn’t feel like it.” And the 30-year-old didn’t seem annoyed about the subject Tuesday. If anything, he appeared to enjoy the back-and-forth.

“I wish it was the other way where it was totally about the game but I get it,” he said. “Our league has grown so much in popularity. The sexy thing is what happens in the summer more so than what happens in the season – playoffs and free agency is the big thing now. I get it.”

The Knicks, of course, don’t have the playoffs. That’s a five-years-and-counting issue. So free agency and the draft matter most these days, along with the development of Knox and the return of Porzingis. Durant chimed in on the latter two, exhibiting an impressive working knowledge of Knox, in particular.

“I got a chance to watch a lot of the young guys in the league so far and he’s one of the guys having a good year,” Durant said. “He was injured at start of the season, he’s coming back. Coach (David Fizdale) put him in the starting lineup and he’s playing some great minutes. He’s really starting to get a feel for the game. He has a bright future ahead of him.”

Knox grew up idolizing Durant, patterning his game off a player with a similar lanky build. Durant acknowledged it was awkward, at his age, to face a player who idolized him.

“Because I feel still young in this league. I’m still learning every day, too,” he said. “I have to realize I’ve been in the league for 10–plus years now. There’s a lot of kids coming up who watched me in college and my early years in the league.

“There are more kids coming up (who were) in middle school and high school and I was playing in OKC. It’s cool. At the same time, I have to keep getting better as well.”

Durant is also responsible for coining the ‘Unicorn’ nickname for Porzingis, which is something Knicks fans haven’t heard very often recently as his ACL rehab enters month No. 12. But Durant remembers the logic behind the moniker, and in hindsight wishes he trademarked it.

“I should’ve. They ran with that one,” Durant quipped. “Seeing a guy that’s 7-3 being able to shoot so effortlessly. Usually guys take a while to get their jump shot off from the 3-point line. He had a quick trigger from deep. That’s rare to see at that height.”

Of course, none of this is a reliable indicator on whether Durant will or won’t sign with the Knicks in free agency. If he leaves a team like the Warriors for the Knicks, it can’t be because Durant wants to win another title.

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It would be more about marketing opportunities and securing a legacy, so perhaps it was noteworthy that Durant’s agent, Knicks fan Rich Kleiman, attended Warriors shootaround Tuesday morning. As far as Durant’s place in history – which would be boosted enormously if he were ever successful in New York – Durant said the GOAT debate is too subjective to worry about.

“It’s cool to be in amongst those talks with the great players. But it’s hard to pinpoint who has the best list,” Durant said. “I try not to worry about that stuff because it’s out of my control. I appreciate the fans enjoy the game as much as I love it and have a deep admiration of players. I can’t really focus what I do on the basketball court to who is going to rank me among the top 15, 20 players. It’s cool for conversation as far as fans."